Guwahati : Up to seven years’ imprisonment for individuals entering into polygamous marriages, and a harsher penalty of up to ten years for those who conceal information about an existing spouse at the time of a subsequent marriage – these are among the salient features of the stringent Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told the House that it was “not against Islam” and that any “true Islamic people will welcome this.”
“Islam can’t promote polygamy. If this bill passes, then you will get a chance to be a true Muslim. This bill is not against Islam. The true Islamic people will welcome this Act. Countries like Turkey have also banned Polygamy; there is an arbitration council in Pakistan…,” Sarma said. Promising that he would pass the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) if he returns as Chief Minister next year, Sarma said, “If I return to the assembly as the Chief Minister, I will bring the UCC in the first session of the assembly.
I give you my commitment that I will bring the UCC to Assam. Following the passage of the bill, AIUDF’s Aminul Islam said that his party had opposed the bill in the Assembly as he claimed that it was “in violation of some articles of the Constitution. In addition to direct offenders, the bill sets out penalties for those abetting polygamous marriages. Parents, village authorities, and religious functionaries who participate in, solemnise, or hide information about such marriages can face up to two years in prison.
The bill also makes individuals convicted under its provisions ineligible for public employment funded or aided by the Assam government, for any state government schemes, and for contesting elections in Assam. Polygamy is now a cognisable criminal offence in Assam, empowering police officers to arrest suspects without a warrant and to initiate investigations immediately after receiving complaints.
Under the newly passed law, financial compensation will be provided to women who are victims of illegal polygamous marriages. The state government will appoint an authority to assess and award such compensation on a case-by-case basis. The prohibition does not apply to the Bodoland Territorial Region, the hill districts of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, and West Karbi Anglong, or to people from Scheduled Tribes, as those areas are governed under the Sixth Schedule.
Read Also : Supreme Court Asks Samay Raina, 3 Comics To Host Specially-Abled Achievers